Shelter From The Storm

Psalm 121:1-2
I lift up my eyes to the hills—from where will my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. (NRSV)

Last night I was watching the local news in Des Moines and they where showing damage from the tornado that tore through Parkersburg and New Hartford, Iowa last Sunday. Then today my wife sent me a slideshow of the disaster. The damage is immense and overwhelming. I can not imagine what it would be like to see all that I owned smashed and scattered all over the countryside. The electronic items that it seems like we can not do without, the clothing, the books, toys, dishes, keepsakes that remind us of times of joy, and pictures and videos of those great times in the past including pictures and keepsakes of those loved ones that have died. All the things we hold dear scattered and gone.

Even worse is the loss of seven people, whose families have lost far more then things they have lost someone who they love and hold dear. They are missing a smile, a voice, a hug that they will not experience again.

As I looked at the images of that terrible storm I thought of how I take so many things for granted. Today I woke up in my safe bed, which was not crushed under beams of my house. I turned on the morning news; my TV was not smashed and thrown down the road. I said good-by to my family, they were all alive and well. I drove my daughter to school, my car was not wrapped around a tree and her school was not torn apart. I went to our Church to start another day of work; all of its windows were in tact. Just the simple everyday things that those sifting through debris whished they had. How I take so much for granted.

Then I thought of the harsh words that I have said over the last few days and weeks that have ripped through some of my relationships with family and friends. Leaving our relationship and friendship smashed and scattered. All because I perceived that I did not get what I wanted or because of some minor inconvenience that I had to face. How I take so much for granted.

I reflect upon all the brokenness that I have seen, some created by a thunderstorm and some cause by my own storm, and wonder is there any hope? Yes there is, for even in our worst storms our Lord is their. As the tornado ravaged through northern Iowa Christ was there giving hope and comfort to those who lost so much. As I create a storm with my tongue Christ is there nudging me to repent and ask for forgiveness from God and from the ones that I hurt.

As the Psalmist says, “I lift up my eyes to the hills—from where will my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” As we look up in our despair God is there. The one who stepped down into creation and who went up on the cross is here bringing comfort, hope, and love to all that are broken. As Paul writes in Romans 8:35-39: “Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, ‘For your sake we are being killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep to be slaughtered.’ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (NRSV)
In your hurt, in your loss, in your pain know that Christ is with you and that nothing can separate you for God’s love in Christ Jesus. Jesus gives us shelter from all the storms that we face in life.

God of hope, we pray for those who have lost so much in the storms of this spring. Bring them comfort and hope. Touch them with your healing touch. Help us to reach out to them with prayers and with help. Help us to be your hands in this time of rebuilding. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

(If you would like to help the victims you can give to ELCA Disaster Response. One hundred percent of gifts designated for a specific response will be used for the immediate and long-term response to that disaster. Give through your ELCA congregation, give online at, www.elca.org/giving, or call 800/638-3522.)

Who Do I Serve?

This is the start of my new blog and I hope you find it helpful in your discipleship walk. If you like what you read and want to discover more about our ministry you can go to http://www.newlifenorwalk.org

Matthew 6:24 & 33-34
“No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth. But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. “So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today." (NRSV)

In this reading from Matthew Jesus tells us that we will serve something, it is either God or something else that is what God is not. What is it that I serve in my life? If we take a simple inventory of where our resources go that may give us some idea of who or what we serve. We can all ask ourselves, where do I spend my time and my money?

Where do I spend my time? Well this week it has been in the yard and in my gardens. Now this is a great hobby and I truly enjoy my garden time. But, if my desire is to have the best landscaping on the block, a real showplace of a yard, neglecting all else including my time with God in prayer, worship, and scripture, and my time serving others in God's name then my garden is my false god.

The same can be said about my work (lets not mix up church work with God time for they are not always the same). I can even make a false god of my family as Jesus points out Matthew 10:37 "Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me." How often have I missed worship because of my child’s soccer or some other sport or event? Even our "family values" can become a distraction from the love of God.

Where do I spend my money? As I look around my office I see a large bookshelf filled with books. Would it no have been better if I did not buy all those books but borrowed some of them and use those funds for others in need? How about all the electronic equipment that I have at home do I really need to up date my computer, TV, or kitchen? How about all those old “obsolete” gadgets that were so bright and shiny but now I see them as just more trash for the already overflowing U.S. landfills, Globally, the 20% of the world’s people in the highest-income countries account for 86% of total private consumption expenditures — the poorest 20% a minuscule 1.3%.. Our unchecked consumerism has taken over many of our lives. Has my desire for newer and faster become my god?

What ever we hold vital in keeping our lives intact may be pulled away at a moment's notice. By November my garden will be gone. All the stuff that I surround myself with is all subject to decay and soon will be gone. My employment and my work in the church will someday come to an end and eventually be forgotten. Even those in our family will be gone and someday be forgotten only a name on a stone. We cannot be assured by things of this world;our time, talent, stuff, even our family will some day be gone.

We cannot be assured by material reality that suffering and deprivation are not immanent. But, God’s grace is eternal. God's compassion for us is like that of a nursing mother toward her infant, (Isaiah 49:15) calling us to the reign of God where we receive faith and are cared for. In this reign of God we are freed from worry over that which is not permanent. We are freed to care for the other to reach out with what God has first given us so that others may have hope.

Prayer: Loving God, thank you for freeing us by your grace, by this same grace empower us to serve others in your name. Through your Holy Spirit guide us in living under your reign, Loving you and loving others. In Jesus name we pray. Amen

In Christ's love,

Pastor Tim